Saddler etal
bin structure



Get. 3, 1967 i w SADDLER ETAL I 3,345,119

BIN STRUCTURE Filed June 1, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent3,345,119 BIN STRUCTURE Jerry W. Saddler, North St. Paul, and John F.Morrison, St. Paul, Minn., assignors to Whirlpool Corporation, acorporation of Delaware Filed June 1, 1966, Ser. No. 554,467 8 Claims.(Cl. 312-274) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bafile positioned adjacentthe bottom edge of a front opening ice bin for preventing ice fromfalling on the floor when the door is opened. The baffle is extended andretracted by the opening and closing of the door This invention relatesto bin structures and in particular to a bin structure for storing andproviding for facilitated removal therefrom of loose material.

In one conventional bin structure arranged for dispensing loose materialsuch as ice cubes, a front wall is provide-d with an opening selectivelyclosable by a manually operable door. When the user wishes to remove aquantity of ice cubes from the bin he merely opens the door and reachesinwardly through the opening to obtain a desired quantity of the icecubes and remove them outwardly through the opening. It is desirable tomaintain the level of ice cubes in such a bin at approximately the levelof the front opening, and it has been found that under such conditionsthere is a tendency for some of the ice cubes to spill out onto thefloor during such a dispensing operation.

The present invention comprehends an improved bin structure having animproved apron means associated with the door means to be disposed foreffectively precluding such undesirable spillage as a result of themovement of the door to an open position. Thus, a principal feature ofthe present invention is the provision of a new and improved binstructure.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of such a binstructure having new and improved means for providing facilitatedremoval of loose material from the bin structure effectively preventingspillage of the loose material during such removal.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of such a binstructure having new and improved means for defining an apron extendingadjacent the bottom of the bin access opening when the door is in openposition.

Still another feature of the invention is the provision of such a binstructure wherein the apron means is movably connected to the door meansfor automatic positioning at the bottom of the access opening when thedoor is moved to the open position.

A yet further feature of the invention is the provision of such a binstructure including means defining a space for storing multi-unit goodsand having a side wall portion provided with an access opening forproviding access to the space for removal of the material therethrough,the wall portion defining a lower edge of the opening, closure means forselectively closing the opening, wall means defining a rear edge, meansfor connecting the closure means to the wall means for positioning thewall means within the space when the closure means is disposed to closethe opening and for positioning the wall means to extend from adjacentthe lower edge of the opening to outwardly thereof to form an apronthereat with the rear edge of the wall means being disposed to permitfree access to the space rearwardly of the lower edge of the openingwhile effectively precluding spillage 'of the loose material as duringremoval thereof from the bin.

Other features and advantages of the invention will hereinafter becomemore fully apparent from the following description, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a bin structure embodying theinvention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section thereof takensubstantially along line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section similar to that ofFIGURE 2, but with the door in the open position;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary section taken substantially along line 4-4 ofFIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the apron means; and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section of the door bracketconnector.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention as disclosed in thedrawings a storage structure generally designated 10 is shown tocomprise a bin 11 having a front side wall portion 12 provided with anaccess opening 13 Which is selectively closed by a manually operableclosure means, or door, 14. The bin internally defines a collectingspace 15 for storing loose material such as ice cubes. The accessopening 13 is arranged to provide for removal of the ice cubes Itherethrough when desired.

The present invention comprehends an improved structure having a bafflemeans 16 which defines an apron, as shown in FIGURE 3, at the bottom ofthe access opening 13 when the door 14 is in an open position providingthe desired access to the ice cubes in space 15. More specifically, thebaflie means 16 is mechanically connected to the door 14 by a connectingmeans 17 whereby the movement of the door between its closed and openpositions eifects the position of the baffle means with respect toopening 13, as shown in the retracted position of FIGURE 2 and the aprondefining position of FIGURE 3.

As illustrated in FIGURE 5, the b-afiie means 16 includes a wall portion18 having a downturned rear edge 19 and a downturned rounded front edge20. At the op posite ends of the wall portion 18, the baffle means 16 isprovided with upstanding baffle Walls 21 and 22, respectively, eachhaving a coaxially aligned opening 23 spaced substantially from wall 18adjacent an outturned edge 24. Each of walls 21 and 22 are furtherprovided with a rearwardly opening slot 25 adjacent wall 18 and openingthrough edge 24. A pair of pivot posts 26 is provided, one post beingsecured to each inner end wall 27 of the bin 11 for reception in theslots 25. As shown in FIGURE 4, the posts may be provided with asuitable grommet 28 for pivotally motmting the baflle means 16 on theposts 26 in the slots 25. As shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the posts 26 aredisposed rearwardly adjacent the lower edge 29 of the front wall 12defining the opening 13.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the lower edge 29 of opening 13 may be providedwith a bumper 30 to be engaged by a corresponding bumper 31 on the door14 in the closed position of the door. The door is hingedly mounted onthe front wall 12 of the bin by a suitable hinge 42 at the upper end ofthe door, the hinge being secured to the front wall 12 at the upper edgeportion 32 of opening 13. The door may be provided with a suitablehandle 33 for facilitated movement thereof between the open and closedpositions. As shown in FIGURE 3, the handle 33 may abut the front wall12 to retain the door in the open position as during removal of icecubes from the bin.

As indicated briefly above, the baflle means 16 is arranged to beautomatically positioned to define an apron at the lower edge 29 of theopening 13 when the door 14 is in the open position. To this end, a pairof links 34 is provided, each having a first end portion 35 having aturned end 36 pivotally received in one of a pair of brackets 37 securedto the rear surface 38 of the door by suitable means such as screws 39.The opposite end portion 40 of each link 34 is provided with a turnedend 41 which passes through the opening 23 in the associated walls 21and 22 for free pivotal movement therein.

In the retracted position of FIGURE 2, the battle means 16 is disposedin space 15 rearwardly adjacent opening 13. The level of ice cubes I maybe below or above the level of the Opening lower edge 29, as shown inFIGURE 2. When the user wishes to remove a quantity of ice cubes fromthe storage space 15, he merely opens the door 14 by swinging it onhinge 42 upwardly to the open position of FIGURE 3. The front wall 12 isinclined herein so that the door 14 rests thereon in the fully openedposition to hold the door open for facilitating the removal of the icecubes from space 15. In moving the door from the closed position ofFIGURE 2 to the open position of FIGURE 3, the bracket 37 swings thelink end 36 in an arcuate path about the hinge axis of binge 42 from thesolid line position of FIGURE 2 to the dotted line position of FIGURE 3.In doing so, the link end 41 pivots the baffle means 16 from theretracted solid line position of FIGURE 2 tothe apron forming forwardlydisposed dotted line position thereof wherein the wall portion 18 restson the bumper 31 with the rear portion 19 disposed within the binstorage space 15 and the front edge 20 disposed forwardly outwardly ofthe opening 13. As shown in FIGURE 3, the wall portion 18 is inclinedupwardly and outwardly of the storage space 15 as a result of thedisposition of the post 26 and the bumper 31 as well as the arrangementof the link 34 in the fully open position of the door 14.

In the forwardly disposed position, the baffie means 16 elfectivelydefines an apron overlying the lower edge 29 of the access opening 13for effectively preventing spillage of the loose material, herein icecubes, during opening of the door and the removal of the material fromthe storage space 15. In addition, the walls 21 and 22 at the oppositeends of the apron forming wall 18 effectively preclude spillage of theloose material past the ends of the wall portion 18. As shown in FIGURE3, the apron effectively defines an upward extension of the lower edge29 of the front wall so that the level of ice cubes in the collectingspace may be above the level of the opening lower edge 29 for convenientremoval thereof while yet the ice cubes will not spill outwardly fromspace 15 when the door 14 is in the open position.

When the door 14 is moved to the closed position, the bafile means 16moves back downwardly into the storage space 15 through the stored icecubes therein to the retracted position of FIGURE 2 as a result ofpivotal movement thereof about the axis of post 26 effected by the link34. Where the loose material comprises ice cubes or the like, the bafflemeans 16 effectively conducts melt and chipped ice therefrom back intothe storage space 15 rather than allowing it to fall onto the floor infront of the bin.

The baffle means 16 and mechanical connecting means 17 are extremelysimple and economical of construction while yet providing the highlydesirable apron forming bafile means discussed above. The bafile means16 and interconnecting structure 17 may be readily installed and removedfrom the bin structure as desired as for maintenance, cleaning orreplacement.

While we have shown and described one embodiment of our invention, it isto be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes,therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in theappended claims.

The embodiment of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed is defined as follows:

1. Structure for storing and providing for facilitated removal therefromof loose material, comprising:

means defining a space for storing multi-unit goods and having a sidewall portion provided with an access opening for providing access tosaid space for removal of the material therethrough, said wall portiondefining a lower edge of said opening;

closure means for selectively closing said opening;

wall means defining an edge; and

means connecting said closure means to said wall means for positioningsaid wall means within said space across said access opening at saidlower edge to maintain the loose material inwardly of said accessopening when said closure means is disposed to close said opening, andfor positioning said wall means to extend from adjacent said lower edgeof said opening to outwardly thereof to form an apron thereat with saidedge of the wall means being disposed inwardly of said opening to permitsubstantially free access to said space rearwardly of said lower edge ofsaid opening while effectively precluding spillage of the material asduring opening of said closure means and removal of said material fromsaid space.

2. The structure of claim 1 further including means for movably mountingsaid wall means on said side wall portion adjacent said opening.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said wall means includes an innerportion disposed within said space when said wall means is in said apronforming position.

4. The structure of claim 1 wherein said wall means extends downwardlyinto said space in said apron forming position to direct back into saidspace material dropped thereagainst during removal of material from saidspace.

5. The structure of claim 1 further including upstanding wall portionsfrom said wall means at an end thereof for precluding spillage of thematerial past said end.

6. The structure of claim 1 including means for pivotally mounting saidwall means on said space defining means.

7. The structure of claim 1 further including means for hingedlymounting said closure means on said space defining means at an upperedge of said opening.

8. The structure of claim 1 including means for mounting said closuremeans on said space defining means to space said closure meanssubstantially from said lower edge of said access opening when saidclosure means is disposed to permit access through said opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,050,252 1/1913 Thorson 3122742,378,114 6/ 1945 Van Dont 312-276 2,555,122 5/1951 Gallo 3122743,246,939 4/ 1966 Petkwitz et al 312274 DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, PrimaryExaminer.

1. STRUCTURE FOR STORING AND PROVIDING FOR FACILITATED REMOVAL THEREFROMOF LOOSE MATERIAL, COMPRISING: MEANS DEFINING A SPACE FOR STORINGMULTI-UNIT GOODS AND HAVING A SIDE WALL PORTION PROVIDED WITH AN ACCESSOPENING FOR PROVIDING ACCESS TO SAID SPACE FOR REMOVAL OF THE MATERIALTHERETHROUGH, SAID WALL PORTION DEFINING A LOWER EDGE OF SAID OPENING;CLOSURE MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY CLOSING SAID OPENING; WALL MEANS DEFININGAN EDGE; AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID CLOSURE MEANS TO SAID WALL MEANSPOSITIONING SAID WALL MEANS WITHIN SAID SPACE ACROSS SAID ACCESS OPENINGAT SAID LOWER EDGE TO MAINTAIN THE LOOSE MATERIAL INWARDLY OF SAIDACCESS OPENING WHEN SAID CLOSURE MEANS IS DISPOSED TO CLOSE SAIDOPENING, AND FOR POSITIONING SAID WALL MEANS TO EXTEND FROM ADJACENTSAID LOWER EDGE OF SAID OPENING TO OUTWARDLY THEREOF TO FORM AN APRONTHEREAT WITH SAID EDGE OF THE WALL MEANS BEING DISPOSED INWARDLY OF SAIDOPENING TO PERMIT SUBSTANTIALLY FREE ACCESS TO SAID SPACE REARWARDLY OFSAID LOWER EDGE OF SAID OPENING WHILE EFFECTIVELY PRECLUDING SPILLAGE OFTHE MATERIAL AS DURING OPENING OF SAID CLOSURE MEANS AND REMOVAL OF SAIDMATERIAL FROM SAID SPACE.